Another contrast that I found quite entertaining, but simultaneously saddening,
was both the difference between Dr. Holmes and Sir William, as well as Rezia's contrasting opinions of them. While reading, I found myself increasingly angry at Dr. Holmes for continually writing off Septimius' mental illness as nothing (a product of the time?) all the while hearing the praise Rezia was giving him. Finally we get to meet Sir Williams, who Woolf describes in a fair amount of detail as a noteworthy doctor (enough so to be knighted), and I was able to sigh in relief because it seems like he actually had Septimius' interest in heart or at the very least was able to see that he was in fact not all right. After accepting Williams as a character of empathy and hoping for some relief for Septimus (my own struggles with mental health, albeit not as serious as what is displayed here, have me rooting for his wellbeing), we find out that Rezia despised the doctor. The juxtaposition between what I see as clear characterization compared to her views comes off as tragically ironic.
I had to put away the story for a few days after my first introduction to Septimus. His behavior reminded me of my adored Uncle Tommy, a bombardier is World War II. I didn’t know him then, of course, but knew him well during my teens and young adulthood. He was childlike and trusting, doing whatever anyone told him to do. My grandmother said her brother was a confident young man before he joined the service and came back as someone she didn’t recognize. He lived with various brothers and sisters for the rest of his life, and lived in fear of being drafted and having to kill more people. They called it shell shock. I call it the murder of his mind. I’m almost caught up with the reading and will have more to share soon.
Another contrast that I found quite entertaining, but simultaneously saddening,
was both the difference between Dr. Holmes and Sir William, as well as Rezia's contrasting opinions of them. While reading, I found myself increasingly angry at Dr. Holmes for continually writing off Septimius' mental illness as nothing (a product of the time?) all the while hearing the praise Rezia was giving him. Finally we get to meet Sir Williams, who Woolf describes in a fair amount of detail as a noteworthy doctor (enough so to be knighted), and I was able to sigh in relief because it seems like he actually had Septimius' interest in heart or at the very least was able to see that he was in fact not all right. After accepting Williams as a character of empathy and hoping for some relief for Septimus (my own struggles with mental health, albeit not as serious as what is displayed here, have me rooting for his wellbeing), we find out that Rezia despised the doctor. The juxtaposition between what I see as clear characterization compared to her views comes off as tragically ironic.
I had to put away the story for a few days after my first introduction to Septimus. His behavior reminded me of my adored Uncle Tommy, a bombardier is World War II. I didn’t know him then, of course, but knew him well during my teens and young adulthood. He was childlike and trusting, doing whatever anyone told him to do. My grandmother said her brother was a confident young man before he joined the service and came back as someone she didn’t recognize. He lived with various brothers and sisters for the rest of his life, and lived in fear of being drafted and having to kill more people. They called it shell shock. I call it the murder of his mind. I’m almost caught up with the reading and will have more to share soon.